LOOK: Bellarmine trolls Louisville, Jack Harlow after season-opening upset
Last year, Bellarmine won the ASUN Tournament in its first season of Division I basketball. Wednesday night, the Knights’ journey continued with an upset victory over Louisville on the road at the KFC Yum! Center — and they let the Cardinals hear it afterward.
The Bellarmine basketball Twitter account tweeted a picture of rapper and noted Louisville basketball fan Jack Harlow in a photoshopped Knights jersey. It was quite the victory lap after the Knights defeated Louisville 67-66 Wednesday night in their first game of the season.
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Bellarmine — which is located in Louisville — took a commanding 41-30 lead into halftime, but Louisville rallied back to make it interesting late. However, some key free throws and two missed shots in the final seconds helped the Knights pull off the upset, spoiling Kenny Payne’s debut as the Cardinals’ head coach.
Garrett Tipton had the biggest night for Bellarmine, dropping 21 points to help lead the offensive charge. For Louisville, Jaelyn Withers led the way with 17 points as the Cardinals struggled to find their shot, going 42.3% from the floor — including 39.3% from three-point territory.
Due to NCAA rules, Bellarmine couldn’t participate in the NCAA Tournament last year despite winning the ASUN Tournament. Teams that move to Division I have to go through a four-year “transition period” before they can become eligible for March Madness or any other NCAA-organized postseason tournaments. The Knights were the No. 6 seed in the ASUN Tournament after a 20-13 overall record during the regular season, including 11-5 in league play.
Before making the leap to D-I, Bellarmine was a force at the Division II level in the Great Lake Valley Conference. The Knights made it to every NCAA Tournament from 2009-19 and won the 2011 national championship as part of an impressive run under head coach Scotty Davenport.